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Mail your complaint to the local BBB office that covers the business, with copies of your evidence and a clear statement of what you want. The BBB forwards your complaint to the business and asks for a response; it is mediation, not enforcement, so the quality of your documentation decides how far it goes.
The BBB pushes everyone toward its online complaint form, and for straightforward cases that is fine. Paper earns its keep in three situations. First, when your evidence is physical: original receipts, contracts with handwritten notes, photos you want to annotate. Second, when the online form's character limits or dropdowns cannot capture what happened. Third, when you want an independent paper trail with a postmark, which matters if the dispute is heading toward small claims court later. A mailed complaint also signals seriousness in a way a web form does not.
The local one that covers the business, not the one that covers you. The Better Business Bureau is a network of local offices, each serving a defined territory, and complaints are handled by the office where the business is located. The BBB website has an office locator: enter the business's address and it tells you which office to write to. Mailing to the wrong office adds a forwarding delay. In Canada, the same structure applies through the Canadian BBB offices.
| Include | Why |
|---|---|
| Your full name, address, phone, and email | The BBB needs to reach you, and businesses take identified complainants more seriously |
| The business's full name and address | Routes your complaint to the right file; include the location you dealt with |
| A timeline of what happened | Dates and facts, in order; keep it to one page |
| Exactly what you want | Refund, repair, exchange, or cancellation; vague complaints get vague responses |
| Copies of receipts, contracts, and correspondence | Evidence is what turns a story into a case; never send originals |
| A copy of any prior complaint to the business | Shows you tried to resolve it directly, which the BBB expects |
Here is the honest version: the BBB is not a government agency and it cannot force a business to do anything. What it does is forward your complaint to the business, request a response within a set window, and publish the complaint and the business's response pattern in its records. Businesses that care about their BBB rating respond. Businesses that do not care will not, and the BBB has no power beyond that. Treat the BBB as a pressure channel and a public record, not a court. If the dollar amount justifies it, small claims court is the next step, and your mailed BBB complaint with its paper trail becomes supporting evidence.
It is worth it. Certified mail gives you proof the BBB office received your complaint, and if the dispute escalates, that proof slots neatly into your file. Keep a copy of everything you sent: the letter, every attachment, and the mailing receipt. People who win disputes are, almost without exception, the people with the folders.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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